I was a child of the state school system, and NTUA was a dream I had carried with me since my earliest school years. When that dream finally became reality, the reality exceeded every expectation I had. The professors, the knowledge, the colleagues — none of these ever disappointed me. On the contrary, they equipped me with tools that have accompanied me to this day, and for that I feel a deep sense of gratitude. The opportunities were always there, generous and visible to those who wished to seize them. Some, however, underestimated them, ignored them, let them slip by. Today I meet those people, and I see them as the harshest critics of their own lost time. For that reason, to the new students I would say emphatically: do not fall into that trap — complete your studies as quickly as possible. Believe me, the opportunities out there are waiting for you.

I was fortunate to study alongside professors who, in the overwhelming majority, were truly enlightened — not merely scientists of the highest calibre, but above all human beings. People who stood by us during a particularly difficult period for higher education in our country. They did not have fully equipped laboratories, nor foundations or major donors to support them. Yet they possessed something that cannot be bought: the passion to impart knowledge, the rigour to demand high standards, and the humanity to stand by the student. With these qualities they built a genuine “matrix of scientific excellence”, from which emerged researchers and scientists who distinguished themselves at the most prestigious universities and research centres in the world. To those studying at NTUA today I would like to say: what you have beside you is precious — do not underestimate it.

Our years at the Polytechnic, from 1987 to 1992, did not have the glamour that one might imagine. There were no sports teams, fraternities, or rowing clubs; there was something far more substantial — the need to survive and excel during difficult years for our country. We drew strength from two constant sources: first the Family, and then the Polytechnic, both of which gave us, to the greatest possible degree, everything we needed to become what we are today. We may not have lifted trophies or been applauded in stadiums, but we raised our gaze boldly towards the greatest universities and polytechnics in the world, and we succeeded. Those of us who found the path to postgraduate studies abroad distinguished themselves. Because NTUA did not merely give us knowledge — it gave us resilience, rigour of thought, and the unshakeable conviction that we can hold our own anywhere. For those years I am, and will remain, genuinely proud.

If anyone asked me to name the greatest gift of the Polytechnic, I would not hesitate to admit that it was its people. Those young people with whom we sat side by side in lecture halls and laboratories, sharing dreams and concerns, are today in every corner of the globe, shaping markets, building businesses, influencing decisions. The network born in the corridors of NTUA has grown into one of the most powerful networks of entrepreneurial and institutional presence, both in Greece and internationally. I am proud that today, calling a friend from that network, I can share scientific developments, voice concerns, and perhaps even to some extent jointly shape whatever comes next in science — and whatever we have yet to imagine.

Beyond any professional value, what remains unshakeable today is friendship. For that reason, to the young colleagues who are now living their own years at the Polytechnic I would like to say emphatically: invest in the people around you. Your friends and fellow students today are your companions on the journey tomorrow.